The present invention relates to exterior siding, and more particularly to hardboard siding configured to give the appearance of vertical solid wood planks with decorative edge details.
The art has recognized that it is possible to achieve considerable savings in both labor and materials by employing hardboard siding panels in place of conventional solid wood planks. Prior art panels of this type have been produced with a variety of surface effects, including horizontal lap siding, vertical board and batten siding, and simulated cedar shake siding. Among the variations of horizontal lap siding which have been available are various lap sidings including straight edge and colonial edge beaded lap siding. There are currently a wide variety of panels available with both smooth and textured facings.
Because one of the main advantages of hardboard panel siding is its substantial surface area in a relatively thin sheet, damage to the edges of the panels has heretofore been a problem. It has been possible to control damage by effective packaging, a critical requirement for panels with edges configured to form shiplap joints. There is a difficulty, however, in providing good resistance to edge damage in panels having anything but the simplest shiplap edge configurations. Thus, where detailed surface designs, especially those of a vertical nature such as the simulation of solid wood planks having an edge detail, are desired it is difficult to provide a realistic simulation of the intended design and at the same time provide adequate damage resistance at the edges.